Judge’s future in the hands of Judicial Council

A judicial hearing has now wrapped up in Calgary on the fate of federal judge Robin Camp and the lawyer presenting the case against him says there’s sufficient evidence to remove him from the bench.

Last week Camp apologized for comments he made to a sexual-assault complainant while a provincial court judge in 2014 — including asking why the woman couldn’t keep her knees together.

Marjorie Hickey told the panel that Camp’s comments are enough to “shock the conscience and shake the confidence of the public”.

She does say Camp’s apology and his willingness to educate himself are mitigating factors but adds its debatable how much he has learned.

Hickey says he called the complainant a “fragile personality” during the hearing despite her courage to participate in her sexual assault trial and the hearing.

Meanwhile Camp’s lawyer says the judge had an “education problem, not a character problem” and has gone to great lengths to learn about sexual assault.

Camp has also apologized for what he called his “rude and insulting” attitude toward the 19-year-old woman.

Court transcripts from the 2014 sexual assault trial show he told the woman that “pain and sex sometimes go together” and referred to her as “the accused” — a mistake he repeated during the disciplinary hearing before quickly correcting himself.

The panel will report to the full Canadian Judicial Council, which will make a recommendation to the federal justice minister about Camp’s future.